Conversation: Neal Ambrose-Smith, Emmi Whitehorse & George Alexander
A conversation on Jaune Quick-to-See Smith’s artistic community and influence will be held on Thurday, April 2, 5:30pm, with Neal Ambrose-Smith, Emmi Whitehorse, and George Alexander, moderated by University of New Mexico professor and author Subhankar Banerjee.
Based in Santa Fe, NM, Neal Ambrose-Smith is a descendent of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Nation. A renowned painter, sculptor, Ambrose-Smith formerly served as professor and department chair at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe. Beginning in the 1990s, Ambrose-Smith collaborated with his mother on several significant sculptures and exhibitions.
Born 1957 in Crownpoint, NM, Emmi Whitehorse is an enrolled member of Navajo Nation. Whitehorse received a BA with a Major in Painting from the University of New Mexico in 1980, and an MA with a Major in Printmaking and a Minor in Art History in 1982. Whitehorse’s longstanding commitment to beauty and peace has its origins in the Navajo philosophy Hózhó, which seeks to achieve a harmonious balance of life, mind, and body with nature.
George Alexander II (Aka. Ofuskie) is a Muskogee-Creek artist that blends surrealist symbolism with Indigenous values and a humanitarian outlook. His work inspires dialogues on unity, compassion, and the eternal pursuit of progress. By exploring themes such as time, dreams, landscape, and identity, he encourages viewers to reflect on their own roles in creating a more harmonious and equitable world.
Subhankar Banerjee is a photographer, writer, curator and environmental humanities scholar. Subhankar serves as the founding director of the UNM Center for Environmental Arts & Humanities, which he established with a grant from the Mellon Foundation, and is currently working on four books and the companion exhibitions. He is serving as editor of the forthcoming book, Coexistence: Biodiversity in New Mexico, which will be accompanied by a statewide exhibition (UNM Press, 2026).
